


Parental Instincts

by newisalwaysbetter



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Background Riya, Bunker bonding, Caretaking, Flynn is a dad, Food Issues, Humor, Hungry Lucy, Sick Rufus, Sleepy Wyatt, flynn's aggressive affection, no ships, the team is bad at self care
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-11-14 18:09:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18057461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newisalwaysbetter/pseuds/newisalwaysbetter
Summary: When Lucy, Wyatt and Rufus fail to take care of themselves, Flynn reluctantly has to step in.(Late S2/S3 bunker bonding. You will pry Flynn Is A Dad from my cold dead hands. No ships except implied Riya.)





	Parental Instincts

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings for issues around food and eating. Sidebar: I don't actually recommend yelling at your friends to take care of themselves, particularly if they're not eating. But no one's told Flynn as much.
> 
> As always, I take fic requests over at to-hell-with-oblivion on tumblr :)

Lucy has been avoiding the kitchen, but at Flynn's instruction, she arrives that afternoon to find Rufus and Wyatt already waiting there. She's hardly seen them, outside of missions, in the last week: Emma's hits have been coming hard and fast, and these few hours are the first break they've gotten in days.

"He called you guys too?" Lucy sinks down in a chair. She's surly from hunger, but she doesn't deserve it yet. Not until they achieve something real.

"Yeah," Rufus sniffles. He speaks in a cracked whisper; he'd picked up some nasty bug weeks ago, and hasn't been able to shake it. "Weird, right?"

He looks a mess: they all do. Rufus is sweating visibly, Lucy's hair is stringy and dull, and Wyatt, the worst of all of them, looks a million miles away. The circles under his eyes are purple going on black.

"This is ridiculous." Flynn appears over them. His hands slam down on the table, startling their dazed brains. Flynn leans over the table. "Let's stop pussyfooting around now, mm?" He taps Wyatt's chin to get his attention, and Wyatt's eyelids flicker before he realizes what's happening and jerks away. "Obviously _you_ haven't slept in days. Nightmares really that bad?"

"I've got other things on my mind besides _sleeping,_ " Wyatt growls.

"And you won't be any good to us without decent sleep, you idiot!" Flynn hisses into Wyatt's face. Wyatt blinks and leans back.

"Lay off, Flynn," Lucy says weakly. She's curled up in a chair, hands over her stomach.

"And you." Flynn turns on her. "You think I haven't noticed that you're not eating?"

"I'm not hungry." Lucy pulls her knees closer to her chest.

"I don't care," Flynn enunciates. "No matter how worried you are, or how much vodka you've had--yes, Lucy, I notice these things--you still need to eat."

"How're those injuries holding up, Flynn?" Rufus says, an edge to his voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you're still alive?" Flynn gives him a mocking look. "With how much you've been coughing, I wasn't sure."

"Oh please, I'm getting enough from Jiya--"

"And you're not listing to her, so I have to step in." Flynn gives them a scathing look, and Lucy, Wyatt, and Rufus avoid his gaze.

Wyatt braces on the arm of the chair, as if to stand up. "Y'know, as great as this pep talk is, we've all got work to do."

"You can hardly stand," Flynn snaps. "Sit down." Wyatt gives him a challenging look, and Flynn cocks his head. "What, you're going to fight me? Really? In your condition. Oh, by all means, _please_. If kicking your ass is what it takes to put you under, I'd be _happy_ to."

Wyatt's face hardens, but then a dizzy spell hits him, and he sinks back into the chair.

"Wyatt does have a point," Rufus croaks. His voice is mangled by phlegm.

"Yeah," Lucy says, "did you get us here just to yell at us?"

Flynn gives a sick smile. "As much fun as this is, no. You." He snaps his fingers in front of Wyatt's sagging face, and Wyatt jerks awake. Flynn slams a bottle of pills onto the table in front of him. "You're going to take two and go lie down, understand? I'll come check on you in a few minutes." He leaned close to speak clearly. "I'd better like what I find, otherwise I'll put you under myself. Rufus." Flynn turns to him, crossing his arms. "Your girlfriend is waiting in the bathroom, because, no offense, you smell repulsive." He looks down at Rufus. "You're going to do exactly as she says, understand? Otherwise, I have Jiya's permission to come in and help."

Rufus looks very concerned.

"And Lucy!" Flynn reaches into his pocket and retrieves a protein bar. He shoves it across the table to her. "You're going to eat that. I have a bottle of water for you, as well." Lucy's eyes narrow, but she still reaches out to take it. "Also, Agent Christopher and I have removed all the alcohol from the bunker." Wyatt protests, but Flynn silences him with a look. "We're all going dry for a few days." He looks down at Lucy, arms crossed.

No one moves. Flynn looks at each of them in turn. "What are you waiting for? Move."

"This dad crap is getting old, Flynn," Rufus says.

"What's getting old is none of you taking care of yourselves." Flynn slams his palm on the table. "Yes, our work is important, but I can't be the healthiest one in this bunker! And it's absolutely _absurd_ that I even have to do this in the first place."

Wyatt tires to say something, but Flynn cuts him off. "No. Bathroom, bedroom, bar. Now." He points to each of them in turn. They hesitate. "Now!"

Grudgingly, Wyatt and Rufus scoot their chairs out from the table. Rufus helps Wyatt stagger down the hallway, and they can hear Rufus coughing as he disappears into the bathroom. Lucy is moving slowly, but she glumly opens the granola bar and starts to eat. Flynn crosses his arms and watches her.

By the time it's finished, Lucy is starving. Flynn is still watching her intently.

"Still hungry?"

"...Yes."

"Sit tight, then." Flynn goes to the fridge and retrieves two eggs. "Fried or scrambled?"

Lucy's so hungry that she comes to lean on the counter and waits for Flynn to finish making the eggs. Flynn side-eyes her as he hands over the plate. "Be careful. They're hot..." Lucy ignores him and scarfs them down, but frowns when she notices Flynn's satisfied smile.

"Oh, shut up," she mutters.

Flynn claps her on the shoulder and saunters away to check on Wyatt, whistling with genuine pleasure. It's hard work keeping them all alive, but someone has to do it. After this, he'll have earned himself a long nap.


End file.
